My friends and I come up to Raleigh for Veteran's day celebration and stuck around the following day for lunch. I served 3 tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. 2/3 tours I came under direct... More

My friends and I come up to Raleigh for Veteran's day celebration and stuck around the following day for lunch. I served 3 tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. 2/3 tours I came under direct fire and listened to the locals tell me how much they hated Americans and our forced Democracy. I spent about 8 months each in Afghanistan and Iraq, eating MRE and rations for weeks at a time if we were forward deployed. During December of 2004 my ship was one of the first on scene for the Humanitarian relief in Sri Lanka after the largest Tsunami ever recorded killed hundreds of thousands in the Indian Ocean area. We flew off all the food we had stored and were down to rations and MRE for almost a month. We weren't allowed to fish since the waters had become soiled and contaminated by the dying bodies of the locals floating like flotsam on it's way to hell. All that being said, I would rather be eating MRE and Navy powdered egg rations again rather than eat the food from Armadillo Grill. Pros: location Cons: everything else
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I remember getting audited one year and the IRS made me jump through so many hoops, I swore I would get a CPA to do my taxes from now on. The auditor made me feel like I couldn't read "simple" IRS... More

I remember getting audited one year and the IRS made me jump through so many hoops, I swore I would get a CPA to do my taxes from now on. The auditor made me feel like I couldn't read "simple" IRS directions and to call him "short tempered" would be an understatement. Then there was the time I got pulled over on I-440 by the state trooper for going just a "bit" too fast. The trooper was already having a bad day, apparent from his 5 o'clock shadow at 11am, and what smelled like cigarettes and broken dreams. It was a rather unpleasant event. Despite all of that, I think I would rather be getting a speeding ticket while being audited, and getting news that my dog just died - as opposed to eat at Armadillo Grill ever again. Before anyone accuses me of a "bad incident," and that I doth protest too much; I must state for the record that I have been there thrice. I figured more than one try was necessary. I ordered Chili and I asked for "hot sauce." The cook, pointed over to the salsa bar and said "it's over there." So I went over to check and there was no hot sauce. I came back over to the bar area and said "excuse me," and he half looked up at me as if he were a priest staring down at his fallen flock. I said there was no hot sauce over there and he SNAPS "That's all we have," then WALKS AWAY before I say anything else. So I go up to the front counter and ask if there was a suggestion card I could leave for management. One of the manager tells me that there is not, but he would listen to what I have to say. I suggested they carry hot sauce, and he responds that the restaurant does not carry anything that is not "fresh." I ask him if he made his own salt and distilled his own wine in the back. Perhaps he had a fermenting process where he made all his own vinegar and that all the liquor was also "fresh." He responded with "those products are suppose to be that way," of which I said "so is hot sauce." He said he would tell management of my suggestion with a smile that was more condensing than sincere. Now let me tell you about the food. The Chili I spoke of, it was claimed to be "hot," and neither definition of the word could come close to describing the product I was presented to eat. Luke warm would be an appropriate description and I've eat ginger bread cookies that had more of a kick than this chili. You'll have a more pleasant experience dealing with the chain restaurant than you would at this training ground for Hell's receptionist. Cons: I've had better food while deployed in Afghanistan
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They act like they are doing some strenuous activity to get me a pack of sour cream from the fridge below! They don't think twice of getting an attitude and having a smart comment as well. Good... More

They act like they are doing some strenuous activity to get me a pack of sour cream from the fridge below! They don't think twice of getting an attitude and having a smart comment as well. Good luck getting the fatass bartender from leaning on the wall to get you a drink! The food isn't good enough for me to go back and deal with such poor customer service! Pros: Food isn't bad Cons: Employees are RUDE!
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I was thrilled when we got an Armadillo Grill in Raleigh after eating at the one in Carrboro when I lived in Chapel Hill. It's as yummy as ever and usually very crowded, particularly at lunch. The... More

I was thrilled when we got an Armadillo Grill in Raleigh after eating at the one in Carrboro when I lived in Chapel Hill. It's as yummy as ever and usually very crowded, particularly at lunch. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful and service is fast.
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Great food! Great prices! Kid friendly atmosphere. You can sit outside. Friendly staff. Quick service. We've gotten take out a lot and order is always correct. Would definitely recommend!

Great food! Great prices! Kid friendly atmosphere. You can sit outside. Friendly staff. Quick service. We've gotten take out a lot and order is always correct. Would definitely recommend!
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Armadillo Grill has hands down my favorite cheese dip in the area. It is spicy and a little hot, just the perfect side dish to any Mexican meal. The tacos are made fresh (you can watch them press... More

Armadillo Grill has hands down my favorite cheese dip in the area. It is spicy and a little hot, just the perfect side dish to any Mexican meal. The tacos are made fresh (you can watch them press out the tortilla's in a machine), and so is all of their food. Best of all, since they are down near the bars, they are open late for that post bar snack.
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I'll give it to them--it's a great location, and it's pretty clean with some cool decor, but that's about where the pro's stop. The food is mediocre at best. I don't know how you can mess up... More

I'll give it to them--it's a great location, and it's pretty clean with some cool decor, but that's about where the pro's stop. The food is mediocre at best. I don't know how you can mess up something as simple as Queso dip, but they've managed to do that. Do NOT eat the enchiladas. Prepare for some real disappointment if you do. The big dark haired male bartender is a TERRIBLE BRUTE! I ordered a Long Island Ice Tea, and he served it to me in little margarita glass, not the standard pint glass, but I still paid the standard $10+ cost. I don't see what all the hoopla about this restaurant is all about. Save your money and go to Dos Taquitos for some real Mexican food, or just head over to Taco Bell. Pros: Cool looking restaurant, but you don't go to a restaurant to look at stuff Cons: Not much parking, bad food, confusing ordering with terrible service--don't hold your breath for them to explain how to order
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This is not a full service restaurant and does not bill itself as such. You wait in line and order you food just as you would any other fast food place. That being said I've never had a bad... More

This is not a full service restaurant and does not bill itself as such. You wait in line and order you food just as you would any other fast food place. That being said I've never had a bad experience and I've been eating here about once a week since moving downtown about 3 years ago. The staff is friendly and parking is available next to the building. They have an excellent selection of tequilas and have lots of different margarita options. I'm a fan of the Horny Margarita made with Sauza Hornitos. If your looking for a more upscale restaurant or authentic Mexican cuisine I'd suggest trying somewhere else. I think Jabarra shoud be open at the Depot soon. Pros: Good food at a Great Price, Great Patio Seating Cons: If you into Full Service, This isn't the place for you
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You DO NOT have to be a YANKEE to recognize that THIS PLACE IS AWFUL!!!! EVERY SINGLE TIME i go to the Raleigh location they screw my order up! I only go there because there aren't many vegetarian... More

You DO NOT have to be a YANKEE to recognize that THIS PLACE IS AWFUL!!!! EVERY SINGLE TIME i go to the Raleigh location they screw my order up! I only go there because there aren't many vegetarian options near my work, but now i don't think i can deal w/ their incompetence at all anymore. Oh, and don't think the management will be of any assistance either. The manager I spoke w/ didn't seem to care at all that his staff couldn't seem to get an order right to save their lives, and did absolutely NOTHING to fix the situation. And $5.25 or so for a Bean Burrito slightly larger than a regular than a soft taco?!! You gotta be kidding me! I don't have high expectations for chain restaurants, but this place couldn't meet the lowest of expectations. TOTALLY BLOWIN' IT!!!! Pros: Queso is good when its not as runny as water. Cons: Lets just say i listed the only Pro.
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We went downtown with the purpose of just strolling and enjoying a nice night. After walking by Armadillo twice we couldn't resist the smell and we went in-even though we were not hungry. The food... More

We went downtown with the purpose of just strolling and enjoying a nice night. After walking by Armadillo twice we couldn't resist the smell and we went in-even though we were not hungry. The food was good, staff friendly, and I loved the tables by the windows so that we could still enjoy the night and our meal.
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